I have always wished to play a woman onscreen: Pankaj Tripathi

Ace actor Pankaj Tripathi's character 'Kaleen Bhaiya' in Amazon Prime Video's Mirzapur has garnered a lot of love and appreciation. In an interview with Mumbai Live, he shares his struggle, journey, ambitions and more.

Over the years, if there is one actor who has been loved for all the characters he has played, it is hands-down Pankaj Tripathi. The ace actor has made a mark by delivering every role and now he is all set to win hearts in Amazon Prime Video’s Original web-series, Mirzapur, where he will be seen playing Kaleen bhaiya.

Talking about how he chooses the role, he said, “I have never planned any role in my life. My first few characters weren’t funny on papers but then it developed when we started shooting. When it comes to delivering a character I observe and spend time with many people, and I take learning from such experiences. There are directors who call me before the role is written, and because I know their skill personally, I agree to do it even without knowing the character in detail.”

He has been successful in making his way from Bihar to Bombay. On being asked about how he tries to deliver this back to back, he said, “I don’t know how I’m able to do all this. I have experienced everything in life – from being into politics and spending time in jail. I have spent time on the banks of the river and seen the diversity. It’s the love I received from the people.”

Having seen the films for many years now, I was curious to know if he felt the industry and the quality of films were the same. He quickly answered, “Films those days were different to what we watch now and this change is quite evident. Having said then, "aaj Filmon mein filminess kam ho gayi hai.”

The trailer of Mirzapur has received a lot of praise from the fans. The show has many impressive characters and each offers their plus and best to the series. But since he is the important character of Mirzapur, does it make him the lead? Talking more about it, he added, “I’m not the only lead of the story, but every character has a distinctive importance. This makes everyone a lead in the series. If you understand the art, you will get this point evidently that as actors and co-stars, our task is to enhance the story. It is a collective effort to make sure that we perform as a team with discipline.”

Moving away from the show, the media wanted to know what more would he wanted to play in his career? Tripathi took a moment and answered, “Nobody is taking me as seriously as I want. I wish to play the role of a woman – it has always been on my mind.”